Winter 2010

On Saturday, December 4th, 2010 Chicago welcomed its first snowfall of the winter season, and it was, quite frankly, a winter wonderland. Of course, we say that now because winter is only beginning, I am sure once February comes and we get 3 feet of snow dumped on us, it won't seem like much of wonderland at all.... but anyway, back to the magic of the season! :)

Isabel and I met up with a couple of friends at Millenium Park downtown and had a blast playing in the snow. My friend, Mauro, brought his camera and we took advantage of his photo skills to get some sweet winter shots of Isabel. Here are some of my favorites (totally unedited and still amazing), along with the Shutterfly link to the Christmas card I created with the photos. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Sweet Tree Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

ChiChi and Chris's Engagement Session

Today I had the opportunity to photograph a very cool couple, ChiChi and Chris, who will be tying the knot in 6 months. She's from Miami, he's from San Antonio. She's vibrant and seems to channel a mix of the 1940's and 1960's, and he's mellow yet witty. At 6'4, he towers over her 5'2 frame, but when they hug they fit together perfectly. And this is one of the few couples in existence that can pull off a strappy heels and Jordans combination! All while maintaining a pulled-together classic vintage look that fits them perfectly. I wish them all of the happiness in the world together, although they seem to already have that. Thanks for a fun day, guys! :)

Jen and Nick's Engagement Session

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of shooting my friend's engagement shoot. It was so much fun to go around the city and capture this special couple's love for each other. When they asked me, "What should we do?" I simply answered, "Nothing. Just be yourselves!" The last thing I wanted were posed shots, and I love how these turned out. It was just the two of them being themselves, in love. I can't wait for their wedding, knowing these two it's going to be a FUN one! My best wishes for a lifetime full of happiness and many blessings for Jen and Nick.

Portrait Session for my uncle

My uncle commissioned me to shoot some portraits of him, so we picked a couple of locations that would hold some meaning to him - the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool Gardens and the Second Unitarian Church, for whom he created stained glass window panels during the 70's. These are a few of my favorites from the session...

A day at the Pier...

Nature blessed Chicago with some amazing weather this Memorial Day weekend! So we set out to enjoy it to the fullest, and spent all day Sunday at Navy Pier doing as much as we could: boatrides, the giant ferris wheel, carrousel, pirate shows with live actors, and finally Shrek 3 in IMAX 3D. I have added some vintage-inspired images from our day below, enjoy!

Nothing beats a carrousel ride with Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan as your backdrop!

The 150-foot ferris wheel at Navy Pier

At the top of the ferris wheel, second-guessing the decision to get on...

Something about this image captured me...

Hauntingly beautiful lighthouse in Lake Michigan

Happy Birthday, Sienna!

This past weekend we were invited to my friend's daughter's birthday party. We spent the afternoon sitting in the backyard enjoying the beautiful day, great food and even better company. The birthday girl's dad even roasted a pig Cuban-style in a contraption called a Caja China and mixed up some delicious mojitos. Much fun was had by all, especially the birthday girl.

The Birthday "Princess"

Delicious Mojitos


Birthday Girl and her mama

Delicious fruit salad

One of the little party guests

Playa del Carmen & Tulum, Mexico

We had the privilege of escaping to Mexico for a few days in the beginning of the month, this was much needed after what have been some crazy and hectic past few months. It was wonderful to enjoy everything that Mexico has to offer, especially in the Caribbean coast of the state of Quintana Roo (otherwise known as the Mayan Riviera). We stayed in a great little hotel in the heart of Playa del Carmen called Hotel Kinbé. We rented a car and drove south to Tulum, where we visited the ancient Mayan ruins and also enjoyed some practically deserted and amazing beaches. Oh, and we had some yummy food, too!

Palm tree log on the beach in Tulum

Fried fish at a small local diner in Playa del Carmen

Small and beautiful beach at the Tulum archeological site

Celebrate the Baby Bump with Henna!

My last maternity shoot client sent me this link saying she wishes she had thought of doing something like this in order to celebrate her pregnancy. According to Wikipedia, "Henna has been used to adorn young women's bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. The earliest text mentioning henna in the context of marriage and fertility celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath."

If any of you soon-to-be mamas like the idea and would like to do this and record it with what promises to be an amazing maternity shoot, let me know!

Photo courtesy of LilSugar.com

Photo courtesy of Tips About Toronto Blog

Sunny Day

Last Saturday was a sunny day with lots of wind, so Isabel and I headed to the hill at Montrose Avenue and the lake. There were some people flying kites. Maybe next time we will bring our own and let Isabel try her hand at kite flying. In the meantime, she was happy running up and down the hill in summer clothes and yellow jelly sandals. :)

blowing bubbles...

THE hill...

this kite was way up there, I even zoomed in...

View from the top of the hill...

The perfect Saturday afternoon.

Spring Maternity Session

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous spring day, with lots of sun and perfect temperatures. This made for some excellent shots, plus it helped that the couple I worked with were so great. They were open to all of my ideas and even suggested some props that we incorporated into the shoot. The results were beautiful and fun photos with a very personal touch. Thank you so much and I cannot wait to meet Baby J!

Spring in the Windy City

If you have ever lived in Chicago, then you know that the winters are long and the summers short, but well-enjoyed. That leaves little room for the other two seasons, spring and fall. So, naturally, when the thermometer begins to read the first temperatures above 55 degrees of the year, the city is buzzing with excitement (and bees!). The flowers begin to bloom and the trees begin showing their budding leaves. You could say that there is a sense of renovation and inspiration that can be felt everywhere in the city. Which is why I grabbed my camera and wandered around Millenium Park looking to see what caught my eye, and here are the results! Hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed capturing them.

Pets

Pets are like children to us. We love them, we care for them, and in return they provide loyal companionship. It is no wonder many pet-owners want photographs taken and seek out the help of photographers in capturing that special relationship between people and their pets.